Boeing Co. is trying to buy Spirit AeroSystems Holdings for about $35 a share, Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The transaction would be valued at about $4.1 billion.
Wichita, Kansas-based Spirit is a large employer at the Global Transpark in Kinston. About 450 employees there make wing and fuselage components for Airbus and other customers in more than 800,000 square feet, according to the company’s most recent annual report
Spirit AeroSystems is the former Wichita division of Boeing, which spun off the business in 2005 as part of an outsourcing strategy.
Boeing shares have declined 31% this year through Monday, reflecting quality problems with its 737 Max jet and federal investigations into the company’s operations. Owning Spirit would help stabilize the company’s supply chain, industry officials say.
Boeing and Airbus, which is based in Europe, dominate the world’s major jetliner market.
Spirit shares declined 4.2% in early Tuesday trading, suggesting investors expected a higher bid. The stock has traded between $14.65 and $36.34 in the past year and has a market cap of $3.7 billion.
